Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Macon’s unemployment rate fell in April and jobs were up – two bright spots in an otherwise down month.  
 
Most other indicators for the month came up negative, with the labor force and number of employed declining.
 
“Even though we did see some fluctuations in the employment and workforce numbers across the state, job growth continues to be very strong,” Butler said.
 
Macon gained 100 jobs for the month, settling at 102,800. Macon is now also up 100 jobs for the year.
 
The number of employed fell in April. Macon lost 475 employed residents. At 101,716 total employed residents, Macon remains up by 1,768 for the year.
 
The April unemployment rate fell to 4.0 percent, down 0.5 percent from the previous month and down from 4.9 percent one year ago. Despite the improvement, Macon’s unemployment rate remains 10th out of 14 metropolitan statistical areas.
 
The labor force dropped by 1,017 to 105,975 in April but remains up by 839 for the year. Only one MSA, Brunswick, added to its work force during the month.
 
Initial claims for unemployment also rose by 77 percent for the month and are up over 47 percent from last year. Six of the 14 MSAs saw claims rise in April.
 
The five-county MSA includes the counties of Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe and Twiggs counties.